I watch him to ensure that that piece of information sinks in. And then I continue. "You will have your one million extra. Let me see the case."
Pepi begrudgingly pulls out his briefcase. He rests his hand on it. "Money first. I need to know how serious you are. You should know that these gems are not in the market anymore."
Tell me something I don't know.
I pull out the case next to me and I open it up. Arranged inside in neat lines are rows of crisp cash. Pepi's eyes bulge as they regard the money.
I snap the case shut.
"The jewels," I say.
He opens the case he came with. This case is much smaller than mine and inside it are jewel stones arranged in the center. They are each as big as cashew nuts.
When Pepi shows me the stones, I fold my arms in front of me for a second as I lean forward. It takes me just three seconds to snap.
I reach for my gun and aim for the two men behind Pepi Filipepi. Before they have time to react, I shoot them in both their thighs and they fall to the ground, groaning.
Pepi, noting my discontent, rushes to grab the cash and make a run for it, but then finds out that he might have to risk his hand for it. And so he heads for the entrance. But I'm faster and I pull him back, my hand around his neck as I choke the air from his lungs.
His men are on the floor, rolling out of my way as I guide him back, holding him in that chokehold still. I give him a small avenue to breathe, but he uses it to speak instead.
"I'm sorry. I'm sorry!" Pepi screams over the bass of the music. "I have the original. They're in my pants' pockets."
I ignore him.
My gaze drifts to the men on the floor. They're crawling away from the seating area, towards the door, pulling themselves on their elbows with difficulty as their blood leaks on the marble.
"Let's renegotiate," Pepi is saying. "Please. From one man of honour to another."
Delusion.
I shake my head. "I'm afraid that time has passed now." Annoyance flits past my vision. "Like I wouldn't know that those jewels would be fake. I didn't need to be a pawn broker to know that. You know, this isn't the first time we would be doing business. Have you forgotten Boston?"
His eyes widen even as beads of sweat cover his face. Recognition floods his conciousness.
"I have a very good memory, you know," I continue.
"Please…"
"But not a lot of mercy."
"I still have the authentic ones in my pocket. Fucking let me show you-I-"
My hold on his throat tightens and I pull out my gun. It's next to his ear in seconds. He struggles in my grasp.
"Don't fucking do this, please!"
My phone rings in my pocket and I try to ignore it. It rings again and I drop the gun on the table and pick up the call.
"Make it snappy," I growl into the phone.
"Sir, the woman you asked us to watch…" This sounds like Marco. I hadn't glanced at the caller ID.
"Yes?"
"She's at Bada-Bang," Marco says.
"A club? What is she doing there?" I move my weight from one foot to the other. Pepi tries to escape from my hold and I crash my fist in his face. He's quiet. I pick up the phone I had dropped on the table.
"I don't know, sir. But she's drunk."
"She's drinking?" I ask. Why would she be drinking on a Tuesday night?
She hadn't drunk herself senseless even when she had lost her job. I knew that Bruni Santos had something to do with it, so his punishment was extra special. Naturally.
But even then, she hadn't drunk herself senseless out of depression or desperation. The only other reason she would be drinking would be… me. She's only drinking because of me. Because I visited her yesterday. It is fucking hot that I'm the one making her drink. That I owned her thoughts so much that she had to drink to escape me; escape my presence in her mind. Her face passes across my vision again. Fucking hell. I can't seem to own her fast enough.
"Is she still there?" I ask.
"Yes sir."
"I'm there in thirty."
"Also, sir, we noticed some men from The Sacra hanging around."
My gaze thins to slits. "What do you think they're doing there?"
"They might be watching her too," Marco says. "Maybe they know we have her on our radar. They might want to take her out so we can't use her against José Salvatore."
That makes a lot of sense.
"Keep your eyes on her. I'm there in fifteen."
I hang up and slip my phone in my pocket.
"She just saved your life," I whisper to Pepi.
He doesn't know who, but he doesn't ask.
"Give me the jewels."
His hands rush to pull out a pouch from his pocket and he drops it in my palm. I pull on the draw string and my gaze meets the pristine and clear jewels. They're tiny, like pomegranate seeds. And I know they would look beautiful around her neck. I don't see much of the beauty now. But I know this is authentic.
I pocket the pouch. I let Pepi go. I kick the briefcase towards him.
I'm sure by now he knows he's not getting that extra million. That wasn't in our previous agreement. And if I might have been motivated to humour him earlier, he knows by now that I won't be so merciful.
I slip my gun hand in my pocket. "Take the money and leave. And take your men with you. You have just one minute. That's how long this goodwill will last." I give him a smile as I count. "...Fifty-nine…"
Pepi grabs the case, and looks at his men for a few seconds as they groan on the floor… before he bolts.